Disinfecting of water in closed systems, such as swimming pools, SPA, hot tubs and the like with oxidizing substances, such as active chlorine, ozone and others, produced by electrolyzing water and inorganic salts contained therein is well known and effectively used. It is also well known, however, that this process can be gradually inhibited by the formation of deposits, such as scale made of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, on the electrode surfaces up to complete interruption of the flow of water through the electrolytic cell.
In a method disclosed by international application WO 99 16715, deposits are removed from the electrodes in the process of disinfecting of water by the stream of the water running through the electrolytic cell. The success of this method regarding removal of the deposits is limited by the water flow rate value. In this method, the water flow rate cannot exceed certain limit without deterioration of parameters of the electrolysis process.
Ep 0 175 123 describes an attempt to resolve the problem created by the deposits by regularly changing both the direction of water running through the disinfecting electrolytic cell and the polarity of the electrodes in the cell. To reinforce the effectiveness of said two factors, the electrolytic cell is equipped with special turbulence grate. This method, however, relates to disinfecting of water used in medical devices dealing with small volumes of related apparatuses and low water flow rates. Furthermore, the method requires an additional water storage reservoir and a complicated control circuit optionally including a microprocessor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,580,438 and 5,389,210 etc., by Michael R. Silveri disclose an elaborated system and devices for removal of scale de posits from disinfecting electrodes by use of an additional pump and movable parts that wash the deposits off the electrodes. Due to its complexity, such system increases the maintenance needs and reduces the overall reliability of the swimming pool/SPA operation.
The present invention relates to the process of disinfecting of water in closed systems, especially water of swimming pools, SPA and hot tubs, where comparatively big volumes of water are involved. While preserving the principle of simultaneously disinfecting the water and removing dissolved scale from the water by electrolysis, the present invention provides an economical and more efficient and effective method of removal of the deposits due to synergy effect arising from changing the polarity of electro des of the cell and water turbulence. To achieve this effect, the electrolytic cell is placed in a hydrocyclone. In the present invention, the limitation imposed on water flow rate by the requirements of electrolysis is compensated by the effect of rotation of water and centrifugal forces arising in the hydrocyclone. This effect allows cleaning the scale deposits from the electrodes without any movable parts, which provides an effective maintenance-free device.